Two complex heart surgeries at 286 km

Why in the NEWS?

• With state-of-the-art indigenous surgical tele-robotic system, doctors successfully performed two complex heart surgeries over a distance of 286 km, the longest physical distance between a patient and the operating surgeon in India so far.

Key Points:

• SSI Mantra is India's first indigenous surgical tele-robotic system, capable of performing surgeries over long distances.
• Two complex heart surgeries were successfully performed using this system at a distance of 286 km.
• This system offers precise, faster surgery with less physical trauma and reduced infection risk.
• Approved by CDSCO, it improves surgical outcomes and reduces recovery time.

What will you read next in this topic?

1. SSI MANTRA System: Technological Innovation
2. Surgery Implementation and Process
3. Benefits and Improvements of Technology
4. Challenges and Future Directions
5. Summary and Future Perspective
6. Regulatory Approvals and Acceptances

SSI MANTRA System: Technological Innovation

• The SSI MANTRA system is a state-of-the-art tele-surgical network module, which is operated through two consoles: a master console, which is at a remote location, and a slave console, which is located in the operation theatre.
• This system is specially designed to allow a surgeon to operate remotely.
• In this, both surgeon consoles are connected through a network router, allowing the surgeon to control the surgical instruments even from a remote location.
• Two complex heart surgeries were performed using this system.
• The first surgery was Internal Mammary Artery Harvesting, which involved the process of removing the artery for coronary artery bypass grafting.
• The second surgery was Total Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass, which is considered to be a highly complex procedure, in which the surgeon has to operate on the beating part of the heart.

Surgery Implementation and Process

• To successfully complete both these surgical procedures, one surgeon was at SSI Robotics Control based in Gurugram, while the other surgeon was at Manipal Hospital, Jaipur.
• Through the technological network, surgical orders given in Gurugram would reach the robotic surgical equipment located in Jaipur within a delay of 35-40 milliseconds, thereby increasing the speed and accuracy of the surgery.
• Dr. Lalitaditya Malik, Consultant, Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery at Manipal Hospital, Jaipur, said that the use of this system reduces the operation time, which leads to faster recovery for the patient. 
  • He also said that the biggest advantage of this system is that it causes less trauma to the body, reduces blood loss, and also reduces the risk of infection.

Benefits and Improvements of Technology

• With the SSI Mantra system, the operation time has been reduced and there is more scope for improvement. Its main benefits include:
  • The surgery is completed quickly, which gives quick relief to the patient.
  • The surgery is performed with high precision, which prevents any complications during recovery.
  • There is less trauma to the body through this technique, which helps patients recover faster after surgery.
  • The surgeon gets more precise control, which reduces the risk of infection.

Regulatory Approvals and Acceptances

• The SSI Mantra system is recognized as safe and effective by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) of India.
• This technology is approved under Class B and Class C surgical equipment, making it suitable for use in hospitals in India.
• This technology is specifically designed to work with the SSI Mantra surgical-robotic system, setting a new standard in the field of medicine.
• This technology has now been successfully implemented in many leading hospitals in India, and has made the surgical process more efficient and precise.

Challenges and Future Directions

• Although this technology is very effective, it still faces some challenges.
• The high cost of robotic surgery still limits it mainly to metropolitan cities and high-resource hospitals.
• However, as insurance companies start covering it, and more hospitals use this technology, this cost may gradually come down.
• Moreover, the need for technically competent and trained surgeons is also essential for the effective use of this technology.
• Along with this, SSI Mantra aims to make tele-surgery more accessible and improve the quality of healthcare in different parts of the world.
• A strong network infrastructure will be required to make it accessible to remote areas.

Summary and Future Perspective

• The SSI Mantra system has added a new chapter in the field of surgical tele-robotics in India.
• This technology not only makes cardiac surgery more accurate and safe, but it also has the potential to provide high-quality surgical services at remote locations.
• In the future, the use of technologies like SSI Mantra will make medical care more accessible, accurate, and affordable, benefiting patients around the world.